Sunday, November 30, 2014

Left-Overs

The holiday house-guests have departed and with the same alacrity that I used so many times when my kids were off at half day kindergarten, I made my way around the house, scooping up a load of laundry, cleaning a bathroom, making a bed, vacuuming, and doing a general tidy up before my husband returned from his trip to church.  My tour of duty found me also in the kitchen, cleaning the refrigerator and re-arranging the last of the left over food from Thursday.  We had everything but turkey to remind us of a wonderful day, spent with friends old and new.  Our hosts sent us off with boxes and sadly, they did not include turkey.  We survived and will continue because those are not the "left-overs" that sustain us.

Instead, we find our real memories of things for which we should and are thankful, to be in those people who have been in our life's "picture" over the past few days.  My husband had a surgical procedure the day after Thanksgiving. All went well and will continue to go well, Number One on our list of left-overs for which we are grateful.

Following in close second, are the phone calls, the emails, the offers of help from friends who were ready to drop all of their post-holiday plans and come to our aid had we needed it.  A personal note from a daughter-in-law who wanted us to know that she was thinking about us.  Our children who would have been here in a heartbeat had we needed them.  My father who called not once, but twice, to ask about his son-in-law's progress. A visit from my brother who wanted me to know that he knew all I do for our father.

  So, I can cook a turkey next week, and probably will.  But what we realize we have left, we could never replace.  We're thankful for family, friends, caregivers and for their presence in our lives and as I write this I recall how we always seemed to enjoy the remnants of a Thanksgiving meal more than the actual meal.

We're grateful for our left-overs.  You really are the best part of the meal.

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